All year long, Air Line Pilots Association members make it a point to give back to their communities, and they make a strong finish through the December holiday season. Here are just a few examples of how ALPA pilots are giving back and spreading cheer this year.
View the ALPA Pilots Give Back Photo Album
Delta Pilots Give Back Through Holiday Tie Contest
The Delta Pilots' Charitable Fund (DPCF) partnered with the Rally Foundation for Children's Cancer Research to give kids the opportunity to design their holiday tie. They brought the design of 8-year-old Grace, who is battling eye cancer, to life. The ties will be given to Delta pilots, with a suggested donation to DPCF, which in turn benefits the Rally Foundation.
DPCF chairman Capt. Kingsley Roberts poses with Grace, her mom, and two rally officials.
FedEx Pilots Deliver Holiday Cheer
The FedEx Pilots' Charitable Fund has been taking donations over the last several months as it prepared for the holiday season. Last week, thanks to the generosity of so many FedEx pilots, a monetary donation along with food and gifts were delivered to Hope House in Memphis—a day care center for children affected or infected by HIV/AIDS. But the giving didn't stop there, as the FedEx pilots also stopped by the FedEx Family House with gifts and a donation. The FedEx Family House provides a place to stay for out-of-town families with children receiving treatment at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis.
Far from limiting themselves to Memphis, FedEx pilots in Anchorage, Chicago, Denver, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles will make similar visits to deliver gifts to schools and hospitals in those cities as part of their involvement with the Pilots for Kids organization.
Hawaiian Pilots Give HUGS for Christmas
For the seventh straight year, Hawaiian Airlines pilots partnered with Honolulu's HUGS (Help, Understanding and Group Support) organization to make Christmas special for families with seriously ill children. More than 20 pilots and their families handed out gifts donated by HAL pilots, participated in games, and served food at the annual HUGS Christmas party on December 10.
"We have been a part of this event for seven years in a row, and it has been our privilege to see some of these kids grow up. The families of the HUGS organization are always so welcoming to the pilots that show up each and every year—they tell us that they all look forward to this event all year long," said HAL MEC Community Affairs chairman Capt. Donald Del Carmen.
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